Historically, the medical field has not been the easiest profession for women, particularly mothers, to be a part of. The demands of our field require long hours in the hospital or in clinic, away from family. It necessitates a certain level of dedication and focus which can be challenging for a new mother to give when she has the same obligation to her child. You’re tired from your surgical rotation and you’re tired from being up with the baby. Kids are noisy and messy and hard to deal with. These were the things I heard and considered and decided to face when becoming a mother during my third year of medical school. While I am extremely fortunate to have had the support from my family and the administration of OSUCOM, I did face many challenges after my son arrived and each one taught me something about our chosen profession.
Lesson #1: Communication is key.
The process of having a baby in medical school is a complicated one, filled with communication to administration, to coordinators, and to attendings in order to sort out a schedule that works. I learned quickly that the key is to communicate before the issue arrises so as not to surprise anyone and give them a chance to react appropriately. I learned this on my first rotation back after maternity leave, on an OBGYN service. I was in surgery and it was lasting longer than expected. I desperately needed to go pump but felt rather awkward to bring it up in the middle of the complicated procedure. When I finally got the courage to speak up, the attending looked rather dumbfounded as to what to say. Luckily my resident knew me and knew what I was talking about and stepped in to dismiss me. Afterward, she told me to just give the attending a heads up before the surgery starts the next time. And it was the best advice that I got for that ring. I never had that issue again, all of my attendings dismissed me to go pump without a problem. Preemptive communication is an important skill in navigating the challenges that a career in medicine brings. I will remember that as I begin my residency.
Lesson #2: Expect the unexpected.
I had worked for months to plan out what my maternity leave would look like, how I would make up all of the missed time, and when everything would Happen. Well the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry, and I went into labor 8 weeks too early for all of my careful planning. I was placed on bed rest for 5 weeks and spent them emailing every coordinator and attending I could, rearranging my schedule. Luckily, I had people in my corner and Dr. Hoyle and Dr. Lynn helped get my schedule where it needed to be so I could match on time. Once I returned, I made it my mission to maintain my professionalism despite the turmoil that had been the end of my pregnancy. I received multiple positive evaluations about my professionalism from surgical rotations.
Lesson #3: People are kind at heart.
Part of professionalism is creating a positive, constructive, and safe work environment. Whether it was doctor’s appointments, physical limitations caused by my pregnancy, or the adjustment in my schedule afterward, I required a lot of understanding and flexibility from my attendings. I received such great support from the majority of my attendings that I was able to balance my medical needs and my professional goals very well. One attending on my gynecology rotation was even kind enough to send me a list of all of the lactation rooms on campus, so that I could more easily pump when I needed to. We forget sometimes that doctors are people first but I experienced it firsthand. The people I worked with are truly kind at heart and supported me through my difficult time. I think this is encouraging for the future of medicine for women, that there is support out there for us as we navigate the difficulties of becoming mothers while also being professionals. I look forward to residency when hopefully I can support other women the same way that I was supported.